The BS underground: FAT WRECKTROSPECTIVE

Fat Wreck Chords
WRECKTROSPECTIVE FAT700
Release Date: November 24, 2009

After 20 years as one of the premiere independent labels, as well as punk rock’s most admired, Fat Wreck Chords has amassed an extraordinary catalog of artists and releases. Label founder Fat Mike (singer/songwriter of NOFX) consistently adhered to an ethos of putting out releases that always measured up to listeners’ expectations. The result was an unspoken guarantee to fans through which Fat Wreck Chords became a coveted brand name and the gold standard among punk labels. With multiple releases from heavyweights Lagwagon, Propagandhi, No Use For a Name, Strung Out, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, Descendents, Anti-Flag, Against Me, and Rise Against, Fat managed to cultivate and evolve a recognizable sound in music. Having issued more than 280 releases over the course of the label’s first 20 years in the business, it is a daunting task to try to encapsulate Fat’s rich history into a box set. Nonetheless, that is what we attempted to do with WRECKTROSPECTIVE. Three discs and a huge booklet render a view of Fat Wreck Chords’ journey along the path of its storied existence. The first disc is a sampling of the label’s greatest hits. The second disc contains an array of all unreleased demos and rarities. The third disc is the limited release Fat Club 7” series in its entirety. Finally, the booklet provides an oral history of sorts, chock-full of stories from band members, as well as a timeline of all Fat’s releases. The box set as a whole is an essential piece of punk rock history, a must-have for fans, and a hallmark of the dominating influence Fat Wreck Chords had in shaping a genre.

Tracks
1. NOFX -The Separation Of Church And Skate
2. Lagwagon - Violins
3. Propagandhi - Back To The Motor League
4. No Use For A Name - Soulmate
5. Bracket - 2RAK005
6. Strung Out - Too Close To See
7. Face To Face - You’ve Done Nothing
8. Good Riddance - Weight Of The World
9. Tilt - War Room
10. Me First And The Gimme Gimmes - Leaving On A Jet Plane
11. Wizo - Raum Der Zeit
12. Frenzal Rhomb - Never Had So Much Fun
13. Hi-Standard - Wait For The Sun
14. Snuff - Martin
15. Goober Patrol - Easy Life
16. Swingin’ Utters - Windspitting Punk
17. Screeching Weasel - Cool Kids
18. Mad Caddies - Mary Melody
19. Consumed - Brutal Truth
20. Sick Of It All - The Bland Within
21. Avail - Black And Red
22. Less Than Jake - Gainesville Rock City
23. Anti-Flag - Turncoat
24. Rise Against - Heaven Knows
25. Real Mckenzies - Kings Of Fife
26. The Lawrence Arms - Like A Record Player
27. Dillinger Four - Americaspremierefaithbasedinitiative
28. None More Black - Everyday Balloons
29. Against Me! - T.S.R
30. Descendents - ‘Merican
31. Only Crime - R.J.R.
32. Chixdiggit! - I Remember You
33. Dead To Me - By The Throat
34. Good Riddance - Flies First Class
35. Rise Against - Alive And Well
36. The Flatliners - Eulogy
37. NOFX - Punk Rock Elite
38. The Lawrence Arms - On With The Show
39. Lagwagon - Bury The Hatchet
40. Western Addiction - The Church Of Black Flag
41. The Loved Ones - Living Will (Get You Dead)
42. Star Fucking Hipsters - Until We're Dead
43. Bracket - Girl From Marin (Acoustic)
44. American Steel - Sons Of Avarice
45. Nerf Herder - 5000 Ways To Die
46. Propagandhi -Middle Finger Response
47. None More Black - Slytherin? My Ass!
48. Swingin' Utters - A Promise To Distinction
49. Against Me! - You Look Like I Need A Drink (Acoustic)
50. The Soviettes - Multiply And Divide
51. Zero Down - No Apologies
52. No Use For A Name - Always Carrie
53. Dead To Me - Writing Letters
54. Strung Out - Alone
55. Avail - Done Reckoning
56. Mad Caddies - Road Rash
57. The Sainte Catherines - Hau Weg Die Schiesse
58. Epoxies - Radiation
59. Anti-Flag - Underground Network
60. The Vandals - Underground
61. The Vandals - Why Are You Alive
62. American Steel - Middle Of the night
63. American Steel - New Religion Everyday
64. The Real McKenzies - Another Round
65. The Real McKenzies - Loch Lomond
66. MXPX - The Road Less Traveled
67. MXPX - You Hold The Key
68. Strike Anywhere - Antidote
69. Strike Anywhere - Asleep
70. Randy - I'm Stepping Out
71. Randy - Unite
72. Randy - Freedom Song
73. NOFX - Zyklone B Bathouse
74. NOFX - Spaghetti Motel
75. Swingin' Utters - Black Mountain Rain
76. Swingin' Utters - Outside Life
77. Strung Out - Dig
78. Strung Out - Lost Motel
79. Enemy You - The Promise Breakers
80. Enemy You - Kind Hearts
81. Enemy You - Emma
82. The Lawrence Arms - Porno And Snuff Films
83. The Lawrence Arms - A Toast
84. The Lawrence Arms - Overheated
85. One Man Army - Victoria
86. One Man Army - She Wants Me Dead

88 Song Triple CD
Disc 1 Track 1-33
Disc 2 Track 34-61
Disc 3 Track 35-88

http://www.fatwreck.com/

PUNKと言えばやはりFATは外せません。FATと言えばコンピは外せません。とは言いつつもNOFXやLAGWAGONあたりにはそこまで深い思い入れはなく、この時点でFATを語る資格はないわけだが(苦笑)。最近だとBANNER PILOTの新譜やらTHE FLATLINERSなんかも最高です。でも個人的にはNUFANがようやく来日し始めた時期～FAT TOURがシリーズ化された時期あたりが一番ハマった。FAT TOURはほぼ制覇したけど間違いなくvol.1のNUFAN/RISE AGAINST/ANTI-FLAG @ 旧新宿LIQUIDROOMが最強だった。最近WIZOも復活したらしいし再熱の予感が。。。個人的にはNUFAN、RISE AGAINST、MAD CADDIESは群を抜いて青春直系で、他にSKAなんて聴かなかったのにMAD CADDIESに狂った時代があって、PUNKAFOOLICでの来日よりも以前の4年前に来たときはw/HAWAIIAN6でSTUDIO COASTだったので、大阪FANDANGOと名古屋HUCKFINの単独に行って最前で狂いすぎたほど(笑)

さらには2年前にWARPED TOURがてらLAに行った際は、まともに英語も話せない初海外上陸だったにも関わらず1人で数日残って、WEST HOLLYWOODにある老舗Troubadourへ最新作「Keep It Going」のリリースツアー初日にぶっ込んだ。

1週間前にこのTroubadourにFUNERAL FOR A FRIEND/ALEXISONFIRE/EMMANUEL/FIGHTSTAR(CANCELLED)のツアーにも行ったけど、MAD CADDIESではリアルに日本人は自分だけだった。アメリカだとみんな車だし荷物持ってクラブへ来る奴なんていないけど、あえてAMOEBA経由で片手に大量のCDを持って会場入り(笑)。アジア人が1人で現れたのもあると思うけど異常にチェックされて異常にマークされてた気がする(笑)。終わってMOTELに帰る際は直でタクシーで帰ればいいものを、謎に深夜1時台に黒人だらけのバスに揺られてSANTA MONICAまで行って、そこからLAX方面に帰ろうとしたら終バスが終了してた。仕方なしにそのへんで掴まえたタクシーにボラれるという悲劇もあって何ならレンタカー延長しとけば良かったと思ったけど、そんなのも何のそので満足しました。それもこれも毎年のように来るNUFANとは違って異常に貴重なものはチェックしちゃいますね。未だに実現出来てないRISE AGAINSTをフルセットでガッツリ観たいです。もはや日本で観るのは夢のレベルになってしまってる気が・・・。

今月はDEAD TO MEも来るけど何と言っても！！
STRUNG OUT vs AUTHORITY ZERO Japan Tour

11/27/09 Shimokitazawa GARDEN
11/29/09 F.A.D YOKOHAMA
11/30/09 Daikanyama UNIT
12/01/09 Nagoya Club QUATTRO w/ F.I.B.
12/02/09 Osaka Club QUATTRO w/ F.I.B.

メンバーは3人代わってしまったけど2年振りにAUTHORITY ZERO連中とHANG OUT出来るのが楽しみです。